✓ Travel with Intrepid Travel
✓ Travel the cobblestone streets of Antigua, through blissed-out Belize
✓ Along the Yucatan Peninsula to the beachside delight of Playa del Carmen
✓ Enjoy a 12-day adventure from the jungles of Guatemala to the beaches of Mexico
✓ Crane your neck to gaze up stone temples with steps that lead into a jungle canopy in Tikal
✓ Stay in riverside Bacalar and sink your feet into white sands and clear waters in Tulum
✓ From volcano-studded Antigua to the chilled-out charm of Mexico's coast
✓ 9 breakfasts
Moderate Pace
Fully Escorted
This tour is conducted at a medium-fast pace. Some long travel days may be required to complete this itinerary and you will typically spend two nights at each destination, with some one night stays required. This trip includes a mix of sightseeing and free time to explore at your own pace. You will be required to move about unassisted, including getting on and off vehicles, walking up and down stairs and some activities will be conducted on uneven or steep terrain. You will be required to handle your own luggage.
This tour is fully escorted by an expert English-speaking guide who will accompany you throughout the tour.
✓ Travel with Intrepid Travel
✓ Travel the cobblestone streets of Antigua, through blissed-out Belize
✓ Along the Yucatan Peninsula to the beachside delight of Playa del Carmen
✓ Enjoy a 12-day adventure from the jungles of Guatemala to the beaches of Mexico
✓ Crane your neck to gaze up stone temples with steps that lead into a jungle canopy in Tikal
✓ Stay in riverside Bacalar and sink your feet into white sands and clear waters in Tulum
✓ From volcano-studded Antigua to the chilled-out charm of Mexico's coast
✓ 9 breakfasts
Travelling with Inspiring Vacations allows you to explore the wonders of the world in a variety of different ways. We have partnered with a worldwide network of local travel experts to bring you culturally unique and delightfully unforgettable travel experiences. Whether it is meandering through narrow canyons by rail, cruising the idyllic waters of the Mediterranean or touring through the backroads of provincial towns, Inspiring Vacations trips offer amazing value and will leave you inspired.
Hola! Welcome to Antigua. Surrounded by three volcanoes dominating the skyline, it wasn’t until the late 20th century that the city became the tourism hub of Guatemala. Today, the city is filled with coffee shops and international restaurants and is always buzzing with live music and salsa classes. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you'll meet your tour leader and travel group. If you arrive with time to spare, why not get a taste of local tradition with a chocolate-making workshop in the ChocoMuseo, or perhaps tour some of the coffee or macadamia nut plantations tucked into the hills that surround the city.
Special Information:
As the seat of the Spanish colonial government, Antigua was once the most important cities in Central America. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1773, but many of the colonial-era buildings have been carefully restored so the architecture matches the city’s historical significance. Enjoy a wander around the city with your leader in the morning, learning some key Spanish phrases to make interacting with the locals a breeze. Walk through the quiet cobblestone streets past heavy, carved-wood entrances, and explore are many fascinating markets and museums.
The afternoon is free for yours to explore the city and its surrounds, or to just grab a coffee from one of the many cafes in central park and sit back and enjoy the beauty of this city. You won't want to miss trying tamales: a local dish usually prepared on the weekend and served in a corn leaf. Also worth a try is Pepian: a dish of three meats (chicken, beef and pork) in a rich dark sauce. You’ll find the best value food next to the artisan markets, close to the bus station.
Included Activities:
It’s a long day of travel as you make your way to Rio Dulce by private vehicle. Depart early for the 8-hour journey, arriving mid-afternoon. Rio Dulce, which means 'Sweet River' in Spanish, refers to both the Guatemalan river that flows from Lago de Izabal (Lake Izabal) to the Caribbean Sea and the town of Fronteras, which sits at the east end of the lake.
Upon arrival, the rest of the day is free to enjoy at your leisure. Maybe stretch your legs on a jungle walk, rent a kayak for a bit of exploration or just laze in a hammock and enjoy the tropical surrounds.
Use your leisure day in Rio Dulce to take advantage of some of the activities on offer. Join your group on a boat ride down the river to Livingston: a laidback, Afro-Caribbean town that offers a unique taste of Garifuna culture on the shoulder of Guatemala. Located 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Rio Dulce, the boat ride is quite scenic, taking you through waters laden with water lilies, and past tropical forests and a spectacular canyon.
The Garifuna population in Livingston are descendants of a community forcibly removed from the Caribbean by the British in the late 18th century. Livingston was one of the towns the displaced Garifuna settled in, and its relative isolation means the culture has remained undiluted by Guatemalan norms. Spend a little time here and perhaps grab a Garifuna meal like tapou: a creamy soup made with fish.
Included Activities:
Travel for about 4 hours to the delightful township of Flores on Lago Peten Itza. Upon arrival, take an orientation walk with your group leader and enjoy a free afternoon to explore the tiny island centre that juts into the lake. Flores had a long history before it was colonised by the Spanish in 1697, most significantly as the capital of the Itza people after the fall of Chichen Itza.
Sometime during the day, you’ll have the chance to partake in a traditional tortilla making workshop, before using your free afternoon to wander the town's cobblestone streets, taking in its pastel-coloured buildings or shop for local handicrafts. It's a small island and walking the whole thing will take less than an hour. At around 4 pm, the lakefront starts to hum with street food vendors, making it a good place to grab a bite and interact with the locals.
Included Activities:
Embrace an early start for a guided exploration of Tikal National Park. Among the thick, evergreen jungle are some of the most significant remnants of the ancient Maya civilisation. Wonder at the towering granite temples and other monuments set among lush jungle while pondering the mystery of the ancient city's demise. Spend a few hours playing archaeologist, and afterwards, say goodbye to Guatemala and head across the border to Belize. As the only English-speaking country in Central America, Belize is a great place to get chatting with locals. You'll reach San Ignacio after a 3-hour drive.
Included Activities:
Special Information:
This morning, you can choose whether you would like to relax in San Ignacio or take part in some of the other optional activities on offer, like a visit to the caves of Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM caves). A living museum of Maya relics, the ATM cave system is home to ceramic pots and crystallised skeletons, preserved by the natural processes of the cave for over 1400 years.
If you choose to explore the cave system (and it is highly recommended), you’ll spend most of the day there. If not, nature lovers may be interested in a trip to the Green Iguana Conservation Project, where the scaly beasts are protected. Or perhaps stretch your legs with a short walk to the ruins of Cahal Pech, which was once the residence of a wealthy Maya family.
Hop on a public bus and head for the Mexico border, a journey that will take about four hours. Deal with formalities at the border and then continue to Chetumal, where you will swap buses and hit the road again for Bacalar (1 hour). A long day of travel will see you arriving in the afternoon with some daylight to spare.
Today, head up the Yucatan peninsula to beachy Tulum – well-known for its laidback vibes and stunning stretches of coastline. You’ll be staying in the centre of Tulum, which is a little while from the beach, however easily accessible by a short taxi ride, or by bike, as roads around here are mostly flat. In the afternoon, head to one of the beaches! Paradise beach is the famous one, however Las Palmas Public Beach is just as beautiful, but with far fewer people. Better yet, head to the south-side of Tulum beach and park yourself in one of the many beach clubs on offer. A spend of about MXN200 gets you a couple of drinks, and a chance to laze on a private beach with the comforts of possibly a sun-lounge.
Included Activities:
Enjoy a free day on the picturesque Caribbean coast. Perhaps visit the Tulum archaeological site, famous for sitting on a clifftop plateau that overlooks the glistening water below. Choose whether you’d like to explore the small archaeological site, or once again find a spot on one of the white-sand beaches and chill out. This cruisy resort town is stuffed with cafes and restaurants serving up seafood-heavy Mexican fare, as well as many vegetarian and vegan options, so you’ll be able to eat well while you catch those sea breezes.
This leg of your journey is a short one. Hop on a local bus and travel for about 1.5 hours to Playa del Carmen. With azure waters, powdery beaches and a European feel, Playa del Carmen is a resort city similar to Cancun, but with a less intense party atmosphere. Take a brief orientation stroll with your leader to get your bearings, then take your pick of a bunch of optional activities. Maybe go for a snorkel in the fresh waters of Dos Ojos Cenote – a flooded cave system. Or perhaps head further afield on a ferry ride to Cozumel, where the colourful reefs are seen with great visibility. If you'd prefer to stay where the margaritas are cold and close by, you might want to rent a bike to explore Playa on two wheels.
Included Activities:
With no activities planned for today, you are welcome to leave the accommodation at any time. If you would like to spend some more time in Playa del Carmen, we’ll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). Now, just pull up a towel and laze on the sandy shores of the playa (beach); you deserve it.
Learn some Spanish during an informal lesson in old-world Antigua, then put it to good use during the rest of your Central American adventure.
Wonder at steep, granite steps that reach into the sky while exploring the temples and monuments of Tikal: the seat of Maya power that mysteriously collapsed in AD950.
Explore Livingston: a unique riverside town where the local culture is heavily influenced by the Afro-Caribbean Garifuna population.
Walk along cobblestone streets and shop for local handicrafts in the tiny inland island town of Flores and learn the traditional methods of making tortillas in a small-group workshop.
Recharge and rejuvenate on the white sands of the Yucatan Peninsula, relaxing in stunning Bacalar and laidback Tulum.
Deposit & Payments
Booking Process
Booking On Request
COVID-19
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard.
Single Supplement
Please follow the 'book now' prompts and select 1 passenger to view the single supplement cost.
Triple Share
Not Available
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation including, e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
Group size varies from package to package. Depending on the services provided, the group size might range from private 2 person experiences up to coaches of 50 people depending on your selected holiday.
Children
Children must share a room with parents at all times and are charged the same price as adults.
Select your departure month
Choose your departure month
Select your departure month
Depart | Return | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
$ | Unavailable Sold Out Book Now |
Thank you!
A member of our team will notify you as soon as dates become available.